Tuesday, July 24, 2007

The Zone

This week I'll be throwing up some "highlights" from a class I am taking this summer at Covenant Seminary on Spiritual Formation. Here is Dr. Phillip Douglass' adaption of a quote by Marcus Buckingham regarding "the zone". The point of the quote is to illustrate the importance of us serving in our area of giftedness and how serving within our area of giftedness gives us a deep sense of fulfillment. Clearly the quote shows that most people are not experiencing this in their life and ministry.

The goal is to be engaged in our ministry, which means being so involved in your service to the Lord that you lose track of time and forget about your difficulties. Some call this "the zone” and Gallup research has found that 82% of American workers fail to experience it even once a week. Marcus Buckingham, The One Thing You Need to Know

3 comments:

"The goal is to be engaged in our ministry, which means being so involved in your service to the Lord that you lose track of time and forget about your difficulties. Some call this "the zone”

Some might also call this work addiction, ministry addiction, etc. especially when "forgetting about your difficulties" means forgetting about your spouse you're not getting along with, your kids that are having problems, your friends you haven't seen because you're "too busy" in ministry, you don't promptly return emails or phone calls, etc. etc. I see the point of the quote of course, and it's a good word to be said. I also think it's a dangerous one to make without some good clarifications, especially for young people in ministry that are energetic, over zealous, and all too easily fall into the trap of over working and burn out in ministry - or their spouses/family burns out at their expense.

That's a great point John. You are right that this quote deserves some clarification.

The point was to emphasize the importance of operating within the areas of your giftedness and "calling". The idea being that when we do what we are created for we are energized and fulfilled (i.e. being in the zone).

I think Douglass' intention in sharing the quote was probably not to encourage the idea of forgetting our problems; rather the idea that our problems fall into perspective when we are doing what we were created for. Perhaps this is similar to the idea that we deal with life better if we get rest and exercise. Operating within our gifts gives us a healthier perspective on life.

Anyway, the quote deserved clarification. Thanks for bringing it up. Obviously, I heard the quote in a context that gave it more clarity.

About This Blog

This blog is about the spreading of the glory of God by planting transformational churches among all people.

Scott Sterner

About Me

I am co-lead pastor at The Vine Church in Madison, Wisconsin and the Director of Church Multiplication with the Forest Lakes District of the Evangelical Free Church of America. I am also a husband and father of five living in Madison, Wisconsin.